Hi all,
I have 32 hive. It's been about -10 C here and i was concerned about my bees feed stores. see they did not take as much as they were suppose to this past fall.
today i got 16 done feeding. Put on an extra super (empty) and a pail of sugar water, insulation to keep warm. as well i cleaned out the bottom entrance...all alive. YEAH
The other 16 are another story. I ran out of time to complete the task so i did not start. I did however, take away the entrance reducer and use an old hay rake tooth and cleaned out the bottom board, replaced the reducer. Some of the hive had life. Those that did not, i took my rake tooth and knocked around the upper entrance. Some more had a few bees others seemed dead. Out of this batch of 16 i think three are gonners
My question,
at our temperatures, can i open the gonner hive...remove inner cover to see if there is maybe a small cluster?
i winter them in blocks of 4, with wraps and insulated tops. They are in a yard that has 5x6 round bales on three sides and good bush on the north side. So they are well sheltered from the wind.
Second question
If it is okay look in, and there is a small cluster in the botton super, can i remove the top super and make it a single?
This would take a bit of care seens how they are wrapped and i figure if i am going to do this i will do it with the wrap on so as not to chill them more than I needed.
Tommorws weather outlook
-18C am and -10c pm
farenheit
0F am and 14fpm
all advice welcome
I have 32 hive. It's been about -10 C here and i was concerned about my bees feed stores. see they did not take as much as they were suppose to this past fall.
today i got 16 done feeding. Put on an extra super (empty) and a pail of sugar water, insulation to keep warm. as well i cleaned out the bottom entrance...all alive. YEAH
The other 16 are another story. I ran out of time to complete the task so i did not start. I did however, take away the entrance reducer and use an old hay rake tooth and cleaned out the bottom board, replaced the reducer. Some of the hive had life. Those that did not, i took my rake tooth and knocked around the upper entrance. Some more had a few bees others seemed dead. Out of this batch of 16 i think three are gonners
My question,
at our temperatures, can i open the gonner hive...remove inner cover to see if there is maybe a small cluster?
i winter them in blocks of 4, with wraps and insulated tops. They are in a yard that has 5x6 round bales on three sides and good bush on the north side. So they are well sheltered from the wind.
Second question
If it is okay look in, and there is a small cluster in the botton super, can i remove the top super and make it a single?
This would take a bit of care seens how they are wrapped and i figure if i am going to do this i will do it with the wrap on so as not to chill them more than I needed.
Tommorws weather outlook
-18C am and -10c pm
farenheit
0F am and 14fpm
all advice welcome